Shattered Vivacity
by whereinthewrld
Summary: Just a short from my 'Choices' verse. New comer, and teenage hunter, Addy attempts to learn field hockey at her new school with the help of her roommate, Riley.


**Hi ya'll! No, I didn't forget about my story. Yes, I'm working on the new chapter. Yes, I hope to have it posted soon. Until then, here's a short based on some actual events I myself went through during the eight years I played field hockey for my school. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world."<strong>_

"I don't freaking get it," Growled Addy as she stared at the stick in her hand; it was something between a short golf club and a baseball bat. "I mean seriously. It's like that stupid card game you taught me the other night where you can keep freaking making up new rules; no one ever gets it, and no one ever wins!"

"Look, it's not that hard!" Riley tried to explain… Again. For what? The third time? Forth? Addy was smart, she knew that. But sometimes the girl was just so impatient! "All you have to know is that you can't kick the ball, you can't have more than two people playing the ball, you can't hit any else's stick, you can't hit the ball above anyone's knees, you can't block anyone from the ball using your body and there are a couple of other important things you'll get as you play more."

Addy shook her head. "Yeah, you lost me right after the whole 'it's not that hard' bit." She fingered the stick between two fingers, twirling it kinda like a baton. It fell and hit the ground with a soft thud. With a sigh Addy ran a hand around her tightly braided red hair as she looked around the playing fields.

They were littered with girls covered in sweat, wearing only sports bra, athletic shorts and their safety goggles. In addition to being nationally ranked academically, Addy's new school was well known for its athletic teams. Riley seemed nice enough; sure, it had only been a couple of weeks since Addy had moved into the small dorm room they shared. But, her roommate, Riley, made things a whole lot more interesting.

"All I'm saying," Riley flashed Addy a smile, "Is that field hockey teaches you how to handle your sticks. Come on Ging, it's a valuable life lesson."

"One," Addy began with a roll of her eyes "That's a completely unnecessary sexual innuendo. Two, I think you're learning enough for the both of us."

The stick aimed at Addy's shins wasn't a surprise. What caught her off guard was the foot that kicked her legs out from underneath her. Addy hit the ground, landing next to her stick.

Riley's hazel eyes locked eyes with her roommate's. "I don't take crap from anyone sweetheart, that includes you. If you're going to fit in around here, you need to assimilate yourself in some 'extracurricular' activities or get labeled a geek and forever be cast out of normal society."

"Then what the heck happened to you? You're on varsity and everyone seems to shun you." Addy grabbed the hand that was offered to her by her roommate. Riley brushed the dirt off of her new friends back as she thought.

"I'm not shunned. I'm just not welcomed. There's a difference. And as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather be rejected for who I am, then loved for who I'm not."

"Then why all the effort to get me to join the field hockey team?" Addy asked.

"Because if I didn't get you to join us, then the soccer team is going to be be all over you. I saw them checking you out in gym class. Evil she-bitches! I swear they go out of their way to screw with us. Last year they ambushed us with water balloons at the fall formal. We're gonna get even, just don't know how yet." Riley looked over at the soccer team practicing on the field over. Soccer players and Field Hockey players just didn't get along. Their sports were similar, not that Riley would admit that to their face. But field hockey girls could do everything they could, but with a stick in their hands. Stupid soccer fairies.

Riley glanced over the small red head one more time and watched as she took the field in, the players, the coach, the passersby. The girl was observant. Some things about Addy made her uneasy. Like how the younger girl would enter a room and the first thing she'd look for was any doors or windows, any way to escape if need be. Or how any small noise would make her tense up. But the number one thing that made Riley question her roommate, were the nightmares Addy had every couple of nights.

The first night with her new roommate, Riley was awoken at three in the morning by Addy screaming. Riley fixed Addy a cup of chamomile tea and as she watched her roommate fall asleep once again she thought about the scream; it was the dictionary definition of bloodcurdling. The nightmares continued, nowhere near as bad as the first night, but bad enough that neither girl was getting a good amount of sleep.

The second week had sent Riley over the edge. One night of no sleep and she needed another solution. Her brother Luke had always told her that exercise calmed your nerves. It had worked for Riley, so why not try it on Addy? 'Course Addy was about as willing to try field hockey as Riley was to play soccer.

"This isn't working," Addy snapped her roommate out of her day dream with a frustrated sigh. "Like seriously. Watch this." A small, solid plastic ball the size of a baseball lay on the ground ten feet away from Addy. She walked over to the ball, took a ready position, stationed her stick like Riley had taught her, and swung. The ball went five feet. Addy's stick however, went flying, landing nearly twenty feet away on the opposite side of the field. "And that, Riley, is why I will never be able to play this sport."

Riley stared over at the abandoned stick, then at her frantic looking roommate, then at the stick again. "Maybe you should go out for the soccer team after all." She suggested with a shrug. Start Addy off easy then have her work her way over to the field hockey team.

"Ya think?" She asked with a sarcastic shake of her head. "I'm a human safety hazard."

"Or maybe track if you're that uncoordinated. And it could always be worse," Riley promised as she walked over to pick up the stick.

"How? How could it possibly be worse?" Addy asked as she jogged after her roommate.

"Simple." Riley shrugged with a smile on her face. "You could join the cheerleading squad."


End file.
